


Did they mention the Pink Panther?

by Summerspeck



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games), The Pink Panther - All Media Types
Genre: Breaking the Fourth Wall, Crossover, Jewel Baron Ending | JB (Henry Stickmin, Old School, Pink Panther Diamond - Freeform, Post-Henry Stickmin Series: Completing the Mission, Silent Characters, The Little Man, jewel thief, mention of a cigarette holder, pantomime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26536861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Summerspeck/pseuds/Summerspeck
Summary: Henry has always had an eye for precious gems, but what happens if he encountered one with a distinctive flaw?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

He smirked as he snuck off into the cloudy night on his electric scooter. Henry Stickmin had done it again. Another heist pulled off magnificently - the gemstone was in his grasp, away from the stuffy confines of the museum.

Its worth in money alone convinced Henry to steal it. And he wanted to grow his collection beyond the Tunisian Diamond, Romanian Ruby and Norwegian Emerald. A pretty pink gemstone added a certain pizzazz to the collection the others did not: a combined layer of mystique and fun. Fantasies swirled in his mind as he thought about how his new prize would look in his house as soon as he found a place for it. Luckily, the gem was slightly smaller in size and lighter in weight so the task of carrying it was made manageable compared to the other jewels. The basket attached to his scooter was a blessing accompanied with extra attachments built to hold the basket and the item inside up with no difficulty. 

But little did he know he was in for a surprise with the Pink Panther Diamond. 

The moon appeared from the clouds, giving Henry a natural source of light to guide him as he reached the city limits. But as the moonlight reflected off of the gem, something most peculiar happened. Rather than bouncing off the gem, expected of the laws of light and shadow, the moonlight pierced the gem into its core. A ball of light formed and expanded in mass, overtaking the gem. Henry had to look away and close his eyes due to its intensity. Unfortunately, this also meant he couldn't watch the road or its dangers, like that of a small rock about to send a thief, a scooter and a stunning diamond tumbling down. And it did. 

"Oof!" Henry fell off the scooter, and all three flew all in different directions like panicked birds in a flock. The shrill whine of the scooter died as it crashed onto its side. Its dazed owner landed face first into the street. He lay there on the concrete as he slowly recovered from the pain. And the ringing of his ears.

Wait... his ears weren't ringing. There was a twinkling bell in the air. He peeked up from his spot on the ground. The ringing originated from the diamond. 

The ringing and the gem's light intensified. He immediately covered his face with his arms as light and sound overwhelmed his senses. And then silence and blackness overtook him. 

\--------------------  
Seconds passed. The bell was gone, as was the massive burst of light. Deeming it safe, he cautiously peeked out from behind his arms. Darkness, pure darkness stretched in all directions. It was as if Henry took a voyage to the endless bottom of the ocean. No other creatures or things were present.He frowned when he realized this point of fact - the Pink Panther Diamond was gone, and so was the moon and his scooter. 

He slowly got to his feet. Patting himself all over, he checked himself for any other injuries. Thankfully he wasn't hurt and he didn't develop a concussion from his fall. He squinted his eyes and surveyed the environment, looking for any indication of his location. But the mere emptiness of this void, teamed with a nasty flashback to another blank void he once visited thanks to a certain teleportation device in another time and place and the fact he couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face, only served to unnerve him and fail to give a hint about the area. 

"Hello?" He hated how his voice sounded soft and unsure as it echoed in this place. He was all alone. Or so he believed. 

The ringing returned, and it didn't return alone. Its companion was the opposite of the light tune it sang; it bellowed a smooth series of smoke and mirrors through deep tones. Henry furrowed his brow in concentration. He held a hand to his ear and listened carefully to the music being made. There was no single unity and yet they synced each other perfectly. There was a beat he could nod his head to if this was the type of music he could get into. But Henry wasn't particularly fond of jazz - it was too out-of-place for his tastes. 

A click nearby jolted him out of his observations. He quickly turned and saw a single cone of light shining down nearby from up above in the dark and illuminating his face. But the light was far from the most interesting thing to catch his eye. 

It was the fantastical figure standing in the spotlight that did that. 

A lanky and lean creature stood there with its back turned to him swaying to the music as if the music held the creature in its hypnosis. Roughly standing a few inches taller than Henry, the two-legged creature was covered in head to toe to tail in fur. Pink fur. 

Henry did a double take. The creature possessed small round ears, a long tail and whiskers, and large feet. Henry could only guess it was a feline of some sort. As if to confirm his assumption, the creature turned around and faced the human for the first time while keeping its body in tune with the music. Large dark eyebrows, relaxed golden eyes and a long smiling muzzle bore into Henry's own eyes and face. The cat was a male. In one of his hands (hands?), it held a long, thin object - a lighter pink cigarette holder. He held it aside and gave it a few taps with a finger. Tidbits of cigarette ash fell to the ground during each touch. The creature placed the cigarette holder into his mouth and held his head high. There was no indication about the cat's exact age, but he was old enough to show a sense of class and style from another time. Long before the thief's own. 

' _A cat standing on two legs... and smoking. I must have hit the ground harder than I realized,'_ he thought to himself. He rubbed the side of his head as if to nurse the area where he hit his head after falling off his scooter. 

The cat, meanwhile, calmly studied the man up and down, observing and forming his own thoughts. He was a tall and gangly fellow, with a frame so thin he was a stick. His outfit consisted of a simple black shirt, a pair of black pants, and brown shoes. He was wide-eyed and had a wide face; he looked so young he almost seemed more like a baby-faced teenager than a fully-grown adult. The cat could sense that Henry was brash and had something of a fighting spirit to him, as seen in Henry's wary stance. It was amusing to see how the youth saw themselves these days. 

A snazzy saxophone flowed in the void now. Henry whipped around to scowl at the invisible instrument - the new instrument introduced was not helping. The cat paid it no mind. Still retaining the same stoic facial expression, he held up his hand and with a snap of his fingers, all darkened again. Henry gasped and immediately looked around, but the efforts were in vain. He couldn't see anything within ten feet of him.

But the area soon shooed away his fears; a soft pink glow lit the area like a nightlight. The spotlight vanished, but the cat stood there and smiled like nothing happened. As if in a duel, he and Henry stared at each other. 

The cat made the first move. He took a bow like a player on the stage, further bewildering the thief. This was getting weirder by the minute. But as if the whole situation couldn't be any get stranger, the cat shuffled to Henry with a bounce in his step and put out a hand for the man to shake.

The thief paused. Well, this cat was friendly if very odd. But who was he? What was he? And where were they? 

The cat raised an eyebrow, but otherwise his cool expression did not change. Leaning on one leg while folding the other over it, the cat rested one of his hands on his hips. Holding up the other, he snapped his fingers again. And then like magic, a small card with glassy text appeared out of thin air in between his fingers. 

Henry slightly gaped, impressed. That was a really cool magic trick. That and him snapping the lights on and off. He made a mental note to learn those tricks. It'd probably make things happen faster for him in his adventures. 

When the cat offered Henry the card, he flicked his hand as if to say 'take it'. Curious, Henry took the card. 

__

_The Pink Panther Diamond  
  
Known as the largest pink diamond in the world, it has an unusual characteristic.  
When looked at closely, a tiny flaw can be seen - a discoloration resembling a springing panther. _

Henry looked back up at him with a quizzical look. The feline pointed at the card, then to himself.  
At first, Henry indicated his lack of understanding with a shrug. But the cat patiently continued to point at himself and at the card, trying to help the man connect the dots. By this point, the music swelled into a full-on orchestra - trumpets, percussion, trombones and other members of the instrumental choir sung in harmony. It was surprisingly pleasant to listen to, but it wasn't helping Henry figure out why this pink cat was pointing to the text and - wait.... 

It hit him. 

Henry quickly glanced between cat and card. A theory formed and he immediately needed to confirm it. He mirrored the Pink Panther's actions to understand; he pointed at the card, then back to the Pink Panther and then back to the card.

This cat was the real Pink Panther, as in the one the Diamond was named after?! 

The Pink Panther nodded. He pulled the cigarette holder out of his mouth, and once more he put out a hand for Henry to shake. 

...

This was hard to believe. A Pink Panther. The Pink Panther. A sentient pink cat with enough class to put members of the Toppat Clan to shame was a thing. 

He didn't know what to make of this whole affair. 

Meeting a real Pink Panther, the inspiration for the diamond, was an entirely new experience for him, and in some void that was not the result of some faulty gadget. And he was someone who performed many unbelievable acts that in normal circumstances would not be possible in any reality. This was not normal, and neither was this cat. 

Henry was starting to get suspicious of this Panther. For all he knew, this panther could be setting a trap for him. After all this cat managed to retain some control over the void, given that he wasn't phased by the music and had some sort of neat reality-altering ability done with a simple snap of the fingers that Henry wouldn't mind learning himself. He'd have to watch this cat closely. He gripped the card in his hand a little too tightly, prompting Henry to realize he still had it in his hand. And to also realize that the Pink Panther hadn't attacked him yet. If he had any intent of attacking, he would have done it by now with his mysterious gifts. And he did seem truly interested in making friends with Henry. He didn't even know Henry was a thief. Besides, from what he could see, the panther was a loner with some superpower... just like him. The thought brought an amused smirk to the thief. That was something they had in common.

Maybe there was more good than bad in this situation. He could try to convince him to help him escape this empty space and get back to the diamond. It was worth a try, but he was not going to let this Pink Panther get the best of him should he turn out to be a back-stabbing traitor. Only one way to find out. 

Henry took a deep breath and smiled. Putting the Panther's card into the left hand and freeing his right hand, the man grasped the Pink Panther's hand. He shook it lightly and introduced himself. "Henry Stickmin." 

The Pink Panther nodded again and after he returned the cigarette holder to his mouth, he gave a loose salute with the other hand. 

Not much of a talker, Henry noted. Those were two things they had in common.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Improbable crossover and my first one starring Henry Stickmin, whom I have come to like as another favorite character. He's so adorable! 
> 
> When I first saw the 'Jewel Baron' ending from the 'Completing the Mission' chapter in the Henry Stickmin series, my imagination immediately hopped back to a famous diamond in film and went on its own route to discover how Henry and the Pink Panther met. 
> 
> Speaking of Henry, the film composer responsible for the Pink Panther's theme was Mr. Henry Mancini. The title of this piece is even a paraphrased nod to his autobiography, ' _Did They Mention the Music?'_ I listened to the theme while writing this - jazz is class. 
> 
> Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

After introductions were made, Henry cleared his throat and motioned his hands up to the void like a preacher seeking the light. "So.... where...?"

Nonchalantly eyeing the darkness with a side glance, the Pink Panther smiled so cryptically the Alice in front of him wondered if he was the Cheshire Cat in disguise. The mysterious creature took out his cigarette holder, lightly grasped both ends and stretched it.  
Henry gaped in awe, and perhaps a little disgust, as the cat transformed it into a sign. A sign with big bold letters: 'I'll show you. I'm at your service!' He took another bow and like a gracious host, held out a hand to welcome his guest. Henry's lips twitched in amusement at the cat's grand gesture. 

And without a word, the cat took off with a bounce in his walk and a slick slink in his paws. He briefly turned and beckoned with an arm, asking the thief to follow him. The cat fell back into his smooth walk and soon, a curious Henry was in sync with his pace. 

Together, they journeyed further into the pink-streaked Wonderland. 

\----------------

Henry wondered if this land resembled some unexplored portion of the place the real Alice visited in her dreams. Everywhere he looked, nonsense seemed to be the norm: pink and white outlines of objects and shapes resembling objects like stars and trapezoids and street lights and pillars moved or hung upside down or remained still. Unseen bells jingled in the air like it was Christmas time and everything shined brilliantly like twin suns. The land seemed to go on; time and borders both ceased to exist here.

Meanwhile the music exploded with a big bang before loosening up in rhythm. Now it was mostly the soft duet of the sweet saxophone and free flute singing together that followed after cat and thief. Henry searched for wherever the band was performing, but the band was nowhere to be found. Wherever he and his pink tour guide went, the music stalked them across the many corners of the rose-tinted canvas. Henry stole a glance over at his feline companion; he was at ease and enjoying himself as though it was a sunny day out.

Echoing footsteps soon caught both pairs of ears from cat and thief, but it came from neither party. Two identical and short little men with white hats, brushy mustaches and big noses were walking from the opposite direction carrying a ladder and paint buckets. Buckets dripping with the color pink - none other! 

Henry blinked, surprised at seeing other creatures besides himself and the Pink Panther. The two travelers paused and when the Pink Panther and twins saw each other, both exchanged cordial smiles and a courteous tip of the hand or hat. When they saw newcomer Henry, they extended their friendly greetings towards him. He reciprocated with a polite wave. The painters Tweedledee and Tweedledum shared a knowing grin with each other before one of them came over to the Cheshire trickster and whispered something so quietly into the Panther's ear even the silent expert Henry couldn't pick up on it. The Panther nodded and shook hands with the little man. The twins bid goodbye before leaving. 

Henry watched them go as he and the pink cat continued on their own way. After they were deemed far out of his sight and earshot, he nudged the Panther, prompting his attention, and hooked a thumb behind him and then pointed to him. The Pink Panther looked behind him and just lightly shrugged, much to Henry's confusion. Tipping his head forwards, the cat told him to follow once more - both him and the trail of paint. The paint, as the Pink Panther pointed, was where they would need to go now.

But the thief didn't move. Seeing the paint disappear far, far, far beyond the horizons and into the gradient streaks wasn't sitting well with him. Did they have to really walk about five hundred miles and walk five hundred more just to get to their destination? No way. After all, he had places to go, authorities to flee and gems to stash away! He shook his head before crossing his arms. 

Moderately surprised, the Pink Panther tried again. And yet Henry refused again. Then Henry had an idea.

Holding up a waiting finger, he placed it on his chin, narrowed his eyes in thought and immediately the familiar sensation of freezing everything in place kicked in. Much to Henry's relief. 

An assembly line of available Gadget Gabe products to use rolled before his eyes. Let's see... a floating trapezoid platform, a small rocket-in-a-pocket, a piece of chalk, and the teleporter (NO). 

What would he choose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Curiouser and curiouser, Henry and the pink rabbit are in the thick of the whimsical land. Now which way to go? 
> 
> The two little men that they meet are actually the same person but duplicated. He's known by two names depending on the era of Pink Panther cartoons - the Little Man or Big Nose. I prefer the former. He's often the antagonist of the Pink Panther cartoons, either intentionally or coincidentally if somehow the Pink Panther ruffles his feathers somehow. The two twins carrying pink paint is an homage to the first cartoon starring the Pink Panther, "The Pink Phink". 
> 
> 'walk about five hundred miles and walk five hundred more' - a nod to the song 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)' by the Proclaimers.
> 
> Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**The Teleporter**

NO. NO WAY. He thought he destroyed that evil thing! He threw it on the floor and smashed it to bits! Granted it worked for him before aboard the Toppat orbital station, but that was just a stroke of luck! No way would that work for him again!... would it? 

Biting his lip, he was about to make his move when he suddenly remembered his comrade.

He eyed the panther, who was standing by his side with his hands behind his back and looking at the device with great curiosity. 

Henry looked back at the device, then back to the cat. He never used the teleporter in front of other people - and creatures - before. And he wasn't sure he wanted to try and use it with someone around. Even if the Pink Panther held no ill intent towards him, Henry was in no position to fully trust any being in this place filled with completely foreign shapes and inhabitants. The gadget was, unfortunately, tailor made for him alone. He whipped a hand in front of the cat, as though to ward him off from the device. The panther just shrugged in response. 

Heaving an annoyed sigh, he rolled his eyes up to the borderless skies. Sometimes he hated his life. And the Superior who brought up this ridiculous suggestion. 

Automatically pressing buttons in the specific sequence he was taught, he finally pushed the big red button in the middle of the green trinity of squares and braced for impact.

He cautiously opened an eye. 

He gasped. 

He looked over himself and his location, but he was fine. He was not trapped in some wall or piece of metal, or teleported to some distant alien planet. 

Nothing happened...?

Curious, and ready to regret it, Henry typed in the combination once again. 

But as before, nothing occurred.

This was strange. Why wasn't it working? He brought the gadget up to his eye for inspection. Maybe something was faulty in the wiring, or maybe this world had some type of bizarre effect on it? Or maybe it was his untamed ability with luck messing with him again? 

The Pink Panther tapped Henry on the shoulder, prompting his attention. He proceeded to indicate the device before pointing at himself and made a twisting motion with his hand, as though to suggest he could try to fix it. But Henry fiercely shook his head and held the teleporter close to his chest as though it was a golden and precious ring. It was his and his alone! But his protective glare softened as he looked down at the object in his arms. He glanced up at the patient cat. 

Maybe he should relent. But would the third time be a curse?

Taking a great big gulp, he handed over the teleporter to the Panther. He pointed out the exact sequence in which to press the buttons before finishing his explanation with a finger directed at the red button. He hopped back a step and held his arms over his head to protect himself while he waited for the teleporter to do its worst.

Nodding, the Pink Panther did as he was instructed - 

He held the teleporter in his hands.

He pushed the green buttons.

He pushed the red button in the center and...

A hole in the ground opened up underneath Henry and he fell through, screaming his lungs out!

The Pink Panther, mildly confused, immediately went over to the hole and inspected it. He peered down into it, but all that could be seen in the hole was nothingness. He pinched the edge of the hole and peeled the rubbery hole off the ground. Lifting it up, he waved it back and forth. Blinking, he placed his other hand on his hip and looked to us with a blank stare. 

  
**The FAIL Superior has spoken:**

**The teleporter is still full of 'holes', I see.**

**See what I did there? Ha ha ha?  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** One down, three to go! Poor Hen though - even in the middle of some far off and pink-laced strange land, he can't catch a break with the fails. Which one do you all think the next FAIL will be? If you'd like to cast your vote, feel free to do so. I'm curious. :)
> 
> References:  
> -"But Henry fiercely shook his head and held the teleporter close to his chest as though it was a golden and precious ring" - Henry is doing his best Gollum impression as he guards the thing like it was the One Ring to Rule Them All in the land of Middle Earth from The Lord of the Rings. 
> 
> -The 'fail text' is a nod to the cartoon gag of portable holes in the ground or wall, like what you would see in a Looney Tunes cartoon with Wile E. Coyote or Bugs Bunny pulling these gags off. 
> 
> -The Pink Panther knows of the fourth wall and has demonstrated this awareness in many of his cartoons. I think he also knows of the FAIL Superior from up above... maybe. 
> 
> Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**The Chalk**

Skimming over a page in a book he held in his hand, Henry grinned in cleverness as he held the white chalk in his hand. He relocated to a nearby wall made of pink and drew a long vertical rectangle starting from the ground, then to the top of the wall, then back to ground again. He quickly drew in a doorknob on one side of it. 

The Pink Panther watched with great interest and curiosity (and an amused perked brow). His comrade held up a finger to him and then he turned to the door, and then knocked three times. Knock, knock, knock. Who would be there?

Henry stepped back and waited. And waited. And... waited. 

Until.

Three knocks in response. 

Henry blinked. He turned to his pink comrade, but the latter only shrugged. It prompted the man to step forward and knock again. And he received a single knock. He was about to knock one more time before the drawing came to life. The chalk door slowly creaked and tore away from the wall, opening, opening, opening and revealing the recipient of Henry's knocks. 

A giant shark with a top hat loomed over a terrified Henry with a great wide smile and a hungry look on his face!

  
**The FAIL Superior has spoken:**

**I think you were reading the wrong handbook, pal.  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Two options down, two more to go. Feel free to place your bets on which one will bring the most success. :)
> 
> This is a short chapter, but it's a breezy one for me to write next to the heavy writings I've got going on. 
> 
> References:  
> -The giant shark character with a top hat is not my own creation, but that of a Misterjaw (no relation to Jabberjaw). He's a great white shark in search of food who dresses in a very fancy hat and vest, and he comes from the world of The Pink Panther AKA the world of DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. I originally wanted nothing to happen and have Henry standing there like a goof, but repeating a gag that Puffballs has already done didn't sit well with the writing. Thus, this was the result. 
> 
> -The handbook and chalk door drawing might be penned by the same author of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased from _Beetlejuice_. Don't say his name three times, be careful!
> 
> Enjoy!


End file.
